Active stylus to host data transmitting method

• US 9,619,051 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Boschee, Jeff, Ryshtun, Andriy, Kremin, Viktor
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, PRIYANK J
• Application Number:
  US14/332,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20150062094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Apparatus and methods of active stylus to host device data transmitting are described. One method receives, at a stylus, an indication that a host device is performing a first coordinate measurement operation to determine a coordinate of the stylus proximate to a capacitive sense array of the host device. The set of coordinate measurement operations includes a first measurement operation of a first set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array and a second measurement operation of a second set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array. While the host device is performing the set of coordinate measurement operations, the stylus transmits a data packet of stylus data to the host device. In particular, the stylus transmits a first bit of the data packet during the first measurement operation and transmits a second bit of the data packet during the second measurement operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a stylus configured to capacitively couple to a capacitive sense array associated with a host device, wherein the capacitive sense array includes a plurality of electrodes;

receiving an indication that the host device is performing a set of coordinate measurement operations to determine a coordinate of the stylus proximate to the capacitive sense array, wherein the set of coordinate measurement operations comprises a first measurement operation of a first set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array and a second measurement operation of a second set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array; and

in response to receiving the indication, transmitting a data packet of stylus data from the stylus to the capacitive sense array associated with the host device while the host device is performing the set of coordinate measurement operations on the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sense array, including;

transmitting a first bit of the data packet during the first measurement operation; and

transmitting a second bit of the data packet during the second measurement operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the stylus, a second indication that the host device is performing a second set of coordinate measurement operations to determine a second coordinate of the stylus proximate to the capacitive sense array; and

transmitting an additional bit of the data packet to the host device while the host device is performing the second set of coordinate measurement operations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the stylus, a second indication that the host device is performing a second set of coordinate measurement operations to determine a second coordinate of the stylus proximate to the capacitive sense array, wherein the second set of coordinate measurement operations comprises a third measurement operation of the first set of electrodes and a fourth measurement operation of the second set of electrodes;

transmitting a third bit of the data packet during the third measurement operation; and

transmitting a fourth bit of the data packet during the fourth measurement operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the stylus data; and

creating the data packet with the stylus data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the stylus data comprises:

measuring a force sensor value;

obtaining a button status; and

calculating a checksum of the force sensor value and the button status, wherein the data packet comprises the checksum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first bit comprises transmitting the first bit after a first pause to indicate a start of the data packet, wherein transmitting the second bit comprises transmitting the second bit after a second pause, the second pause being shorter than the first pause to indicate a bit separation between bits of the data packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrodes includes either row electrodes or column electrodes, wherein the second set of electrodes includes the other one of the row electrodes or column electrodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of coordinate measurement operations comprises a row measurement operation as the first measurement operation and a column measurement operation as the second measurement operation, wherein the transmitting the data packet comprises:

transmitting the first bit of the data packet during the row measurement operation; and

transmitting the second bit of the data packet during the column measurement operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet is at least one of a full packet format or a relative packet format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting a first full packet format comprising a value of the stylus data, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting a subsequent relative packet format comprising a difference between the value of the stylus data and a second value of subsequent stylus data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet comprises at least four bits, and wherein the at least four bits comprises:

at least two bits of force sensor data;

at least one bit for button data; and

at least one bit for error check information.

12. A system comprising:

a host device; and

a stylus configured to capacitively couple to a capacitive sense array associated with the host device, wherein the capacitive sense array includes a plurality of electrodes, comprising;

a tip driver;

a receiver configured to receive an indication of a set of coordinate measurement operations performed by the host device to determine coordinates of the stylus proximate to a capacitive sense array of the host device, wherein the set of coordinate measurement operations comprises a first measurement operation of a first set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array and a second measurement operation of a second set of electrodes of the capacitive sense array; and

a processing device coupled to the receiver and the tip driver, wherein the processing device is configured to in response to receiving the indication, transmit a data packet of stylus data to the capacitive sense array associated with the host device while the host device is performing the set of coordinate measurement operations on the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sense array, wherein transmitting the data packet of stylus data further includes;

transmitting a first bit of the data packet of stylus data during the first measurement operation of the first set of electrodes; and

transmitting a second bit of the data packet of stylus data during the second measurement operation of the second set of electrodes.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising the host device comprising:

a transmitter;

the capacitive sense array; and

a second processing device coupled to the transmitter and the capacitive sense array, wherein the second processing device is configured to perform the sets of coordinate measurement operations to determine the coordinates of the stylus proximate to the capacitive sense array of the host device, and wherein the host device is configured to transmit the indications to the receiver of the stylus via the transmitter.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the stylus data comprises at least one of a force, sensor state, a button state, a start packet indicator, or an end packet indicator.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a force sensor coupled to the processing device; and

a button coupled to the processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to obtain force sensor values from the force sensor, to obtain button statuses from the button, to calculate checksums of a respective one of the force sensor values and a respective one of the button statuses, and to create the data packet with the respective one of the force sensor values, the respective one of the button statuses, and a respective one of the checksums.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the stylus data packets comprise a full packet format, and wherein the processing device is configured to transmit full force data values in the stylus data packets.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the stylus data packets comprises a full packet format with a full force data value, and wherein subsequent ones of the stylus data packets comprise a relative packet format with a difference between a previous force data value and a subsequent data value.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first set of electrodes includes row electrodes or column electrodes and the second set of electrodes include the other one of the row electrodes or column electrodes, and wherein the processing device is configured to transmit the first bit of the data packet during the first measurement operation of the first set of row electrodes or column electrodes and to transmit the second bit of the data packet during the second measurement operation of the second set of the other one of the row electrodes or column electrodes.

19. A stylus configured to capacitively couple to a capacitive sense array associated with the host device, wherein the capacitive sense array includes a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

a force sensor;

a processing device coupled to the force sensor, wherein the processing device is configured to implement a stylus data state machine, and wherein the stylus data state machine comprises a first state in which the force sensor is not pressed, a second state in which the force sensor is pressed, a third state in which the force sensor is still pressed, and a fourth state in which the force sensor is released;

a receiver coupled to the processing device; and

a tip driver coupled to the processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to;

receive an indication via the receiver from the host device that the host device is performing a set of coordinate measurement operations to determine a coordinate of the stylus, the set of coordinate measurement operations comprising a first measurement operation of a first set of electrodes and a second measurement operation of a second set of electrodes; and

in response to receiving the indication, transmit a data packet of stylus data to the capacitive sense array associated with the host device via the tip driver in the respective one of the first state, second state, third state, and fourth state while the host device is performing the set of coordinate measurement operations on the plurality of electrodes of the capacitive sense array, wherein the processing device is configured to transmit the data packet by transmitting a first bit of the data packet during the first measurement operation and transmitting a second bit of the data packet during the second measurement operation.

20. The stylus of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, at the stylus, a second indication that the host device is performing a second set of coordinate measurement operations to determine a second coordinate of the stylus; and

transmitting an additional bit of the data packet to the host device while the host device is performing the second set of coordinate measurement operations.